REMEMBER those black and white crime thrillers with
clipped accents that used to pop up on the Midnight Movie be shown on
Sunday afternoon television to give people something to watch without
too much effort after Sunday lunch?

This is the theatrical equivalent. Agatha Christie's play first
saw the light of day as a short story in 1925 but after the success of
The Mousetrap it was reworked for the stage opening in 1953 and almost
60 years on, in truth, it is starting to show its age.

With the fine cast assembled for this production you feel it
should be better than it actually is. Not that that is their fault or
that there is anything wrong with it but has become . . . a little
dated.

Without giving too much away Leonard Vole played convincingly by
Ben Nealon (Soldier Soldier) a likeable, working-class sort of
chap has found himself on the wrong side of coincidence for the murder
of an old dear he had befriended.

She was 56 – which might have been old in 1953 but caused plenty
of amusement among an audience many of whom had just been moved into the
positively ancient category by that Vole chap on stage.

His only alibi was his German, actress wife Romaine played by
Honeysuckle Weeks (Sam Stewart in Foyle's War) who, once
she had sorted her accent out, managed to have the audience guessing her
motives and her affections as the play developed.

Muddying the waters still further we also had the Scottish
housekeeper Janet McKenzie (Jennifer Wilson) who obviously did not like
Vole and said so in no uncertain manner – and an equally uncertain
accent.

Defending young Vole was Sir Wilfred Robarts and
Denis Lill (Dennis in Outside Edge) made him look and sound the
part of a 1950's QC while his solicitor was Mr Mayhew, Robert Duncan
(Gus in Drop the Dead Donkey), pictured above, who incidentally was also excellent
in the touring version of Outside Edge,
who brought a little
levity to proceedings.

Presecuting, in splendidly bumtious syle is Mr Myers QC played by
Mark Wynter, pictured below, while

overseeing the whole thing was Mr Justice Wainwright played with
that wit and lack of worldly knowledge that we so love in our judiciary
by Peter Byrne who you might remember as Andy Crawford in Dixon of
Dock Green . . . glory be, am I that old.

The action all took part in Sir Wilfred's chambers and the
courtroom with a remarkably clever set which could be switched in a
matter of moments before your very eyes. The lighting was also
impressive with huge shadows on the wall from the open fire in the
chambers and clever lightening and gradual darkening to emphasis points
or add effect. Both set and lighting designers, Simon Scullion and
Douglas Kuhrt deserve bows for that.

In court we became the jury watching the trial unfold before us but
even considering our important role in proceedings

the first half at just under 90 minutes was a tad long –
56-year-old (and beyond) rears need armchairs, or at least cushions,
rather than theatre seats beyond the hour mark and there was plenty of
shuffling going on by the time the ice creams appeared which perhaps
lost a little of the closing drama.

If the first act set the scene then the second much shorter
provided all the twists and turns with the final revelation catching
many by surprise.

It was all a bit Victorian melodrama at the end but was
still a very watchable production but as I said, age has caught up. The
murder of 56 year-old-woman would hardly be front page news day after
day these days and perhaps the play also suffers because we as an
audience are more sophisticated. With things like CSI, Law & Order,
Silent Witness and the like on TV we are not even remotely impressed
by blood on a piece of evidence that links it to almost 50 per cent of
the population.

The play has become rather a period piece and you
almost expect it to be in black and white but within its limitations it
is well done and the twists keep you guessing right to the end as any
good thriller should. To 6-03-2010